Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Doggie Fun Facts

In Asia, royalty used to put their Pekingese in their coat sleeves to keep them warm. The breed was the exclusive property of the Chinese Imperial Court, and commoners even had to bow to the dogs.

The oldest breed of dog native to North America is the Chihuahua.

Dogs turn in circles before lying down because of natural instinct; in the wild their wolf ancestors did this to flatten long grass into a cozy bed.

A puppy's eyes do not open until they are 10 to 15 days old. Vision is usually not completely developed until they are approximately four weeks old.

A mixed-breed dog will usually possess the behavioral traits of the breed they most closely resemble in appearance.

The classic Poodle haircut was originally meant to improve the dog's swimming abilities as a retriever, with the pom-poms left in place to warm their joints, and a fluffy bulbous tail meant to stick up out of the water so they're able to be spotted easily.

A puppy's natural instinct will make them chew on absolutely anything that they come into contact with, (so always be sure they have something safe to nibble on).

Puppies should remain with their mother until they are at least eight weeks old. During this time she will teach them not to bite and how to get along with fellow littermates.

39% percent of pet parents say they have more photos of their pet than of their spouse or significant other. Just 21% say they have more photos of their spouse or significant other than of their pet.

Survivors of the Titanic included two dogs: a Pekingese and a Pomeranian.

An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33% of dog parents admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on an answering machine while away from home.

The oldest dog lived for 29 years. He was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who died in 1939.

Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible.

The smallest mature dog was a Yorkshire Terrier from Blackburn, England that was 2 1/2 inches high at its shoulder, and weighed only four ounces.

The tallest dog is a Great Dane named Gibson in Grass Valley, CA, who stands 42.6 inches high at the shoulder, (when he stands upright on his hind legs, he's over 7 feet tall!), and weighs 170 pounds.

If you notice a dog when he is fast asleep, you will see his eyes moving back and forth under the lids, as a human's eyes do. Researchers are almost certain that dogs dream.

Dogs' nose prints are used to identify them, just as fingerprints are used to identify humans.

When a dog bays at the moon, he is following his basic instinct to call the pack together.

70% of pet parents sign their pet's name on greeting cards. 58% include pets in family and holiday photos.